Obama weighs broader move on legal immigration

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is considering key changes in the legal immigration system requested by tech, industry and powerful interest groups.

Administration officials and advocates say those steps would go beyond the expected relief from deportations for some immigrants in the U.S. illegally that Obama signaled he'd pursue after immigration efforts in Congress collapsed.

One of the more popular requests relayed to officials during recent White House meetings is a change in how green cards are counted that could free up some 800,000 visas. That would lessen the bottleneck for businesses seeking global talent, shorten the line for those seeking green cards for relatives and potentially reduce the incentive for illegal immigration.

Securing support from business groups and other advocates could blunt Republicans' election-year criticism of Obama's go-it-alone approach on immigration.